The mainstream media’s bid to make the San Bernadino, Calif. killings a cause for gun control was demonstrated at the opening of Thursday’s Today show when co-host Matt Lauer made the unusual move of quoting a British commentator’s blast at America.
Already at the shooting site, Lauer said to co-host Savannah Guthrie:
“You know Savannah, I was just watching the open of the show there and I got a glimpse of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lit this morning. This is supposed to be the most joyous and festive time of the year. You and I were supposed to be part of the tree lighting ceremony last night. Instead we are waking up this morning and we’re covering another mass shooting in this country.
“I don’t often start coverage of an event like this by talking about how other people are covering it, but a commentator for the BBC said overnight, ‘Just another day in the United States, another day of guns, chaos and panic, this time in the city of San Bernadino, Calif.”
A CNN analyst, meanwhile, suggested that a guest at the Christmas party might have offended the religion of shooter Syed Rizwan Farook.
Contortions morning media going thru to shift #SanBernadinoShooting from suspected lone-wolf terrorism to gun control is astounding @msnbc
— Rep. Robert Aderholt (@Robert_Aderholt) December 3, 2015
While police were strongly hinting that the shooting is a case of terrorism, many in the media were blaming the access to guns as the problem. Anti-gun groups and some Democrats blamed Republicans for fighting tougher gun control initiatives.
The focus on guns and not terrorism drew the ire of at least one lawmaker, Alabama Rep. Robert Aderholt, who tweeted, “Contortions morning media going thru to shift #SanBernadinoShooting from suspected lone-wolf terrorism to gun control is astounding @MSNBC.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
